One of the best times for young men to get into fragrances is during the teenage years. Young men are learning more about themselves and they are exploring their personality, and a good way to to do that is through the sense of smell.
How you smell is a big factor in how other people view you. This is important for teenage guys because they are usually around a lot of people in small spaces. This can be during high school, sporting events, or even hanging out at the mall.
How we chose: The criteria we looked at was price, strength (projection), and availability.
By clicking an affiliate link to Amazon, we may receive a small commission on qualifying purchases. This is no extra cost to you, and it helps to keep the site running.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Fragrance For Teenage Guys: Nautica Voyage
- Budget Option: Cremo Spice And Black Vanilla
- Best Fragrance For Younger Teen Guy: Diesel Sound Of The Brave
- Best For Older Teen Guy: Dior Sauvage EdT
Best Overall
1. Nautica Voyage
Best for: Everyday wear
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Woody Aquatic
Pros: Top selling fragrance, almost everyone loves it
Cons: Does not last all day
Nautica Voyage by Nautica for Men smells exactly like you think it would based on the name. The word voyage brings thoughts of sea salt and ocean travel, and that is exactly what you get with this scent.
This is our #1 choice because it is easy to wear and works great on younger guys because it smells clean and fresh. It is also not overly strong, so you don’t have to worry about choking people out with its scent. In addition, it does not cost much, so you won’t break the bank when you buy it.
This is a simple clean fragrance. If you can imagine clean clothes smell, you are in the right direction. It works well as a casual fragrance, and it would make a good scent to apply after a gym workout.
It is very inexpensive as far as fragrances go, so this makes it appealing for young men who don’t want to spend lots of cash on cologne.
Best Budget Option
2. Cremo Spice And Vanilla Cologne
Best for: Fall and winter months
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Amber Spicy
Pros: Inexpensive, smells like a more costly fragrance
Cons: Does not last long enough
If your goal is to find a cologne that smells good and is cheap, then Cremo Spice And Vanilla is the one for you. This fragrance smells similar to Spicebomb Extreme, but that one costs around $100.
This fragrance is spicy with notes of vanilla. It is young enough for teens, and the cost at under $20 can’t be beat. While it does not cost much, this is a quality fragrance, and you won’t be disappointed. It is perfect for cooler months too.
Best For Younger Teen
3. Diesel Sound Of The Brave
Best for: Young guys
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Woody Aromatic
Pros: Easy to wear and inoffensive smelling
Cons: Not very strong
Diesel Sound Of The Brave made our list because it is a safe blind buy fragrance. This means that it smells nice to most guys and there is no need to test it first.
While it may not be unique enough for experienced fragrance collectors, it is perfect for teenage boys. It smells sweet and woody, and it is very inoffensive.
Plus, it is not strong so you don’t have to be self conscious that people around you don’t like it.
Best For Older Teen Guy
4. Dior Sauvage
Best for: Everyday wear
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family:
Pros: Mass appealing, girls love the way it smells
Cons: A lot of other guys wear it, expensive for young guys
This is an extremely popular fragrance thanks to the branding of Johnny Depp as the face of the scent. You know, Capt. Jack Sparrow. If you are looking for originality, this is not for you, but if you are looking for a compliment getter, then grab a bottle of Sauvage.
Dior Sauvage is a great cologne for an old teen guy maybe around 19. I don’t really see this as suitable for younger guys in high school.
If you polled every woman about what a good cologne smells like on a guy, you would get a large amount that would say Sauvage by Dior. It is that popular.
This is extremely versatile and you can wear this almost anywhere. This is a great fragrance for a date, to go to the bar, to go to class, or for work. If you are not looking to purchase several fragrances, this should be on your list because you can wear it almost anytime.
This one is a little more pricey though, so if you are looking for a low cost fragrance, this is not for you.
What Does It Smell Like: This smells very manly, rugged, and sexy. Most people have probably smelled this somewhere before, but unless they are into fragrances, they aren’t going to look at you and say that guy has on Sauvage. It has a very pleasing, fresh and woody scent. If you want a designer scent, and you want the ladies all over you, then get Sauvage.
Best Of The Rest
5. 1 Million EdT by Paco Rabanne
Best for: Nights and dates
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Woody Spicy
Pros: Girls love the way it smells
Cons: Can be expensive for younger guys
1 Million is the cologne that symbolizes wealth, power, gold, and being a bad boy. It has a general appeal to it, so young men should be able to wear it easily. It is also found in almost every department store, so sampling a spray should not be too difficult.
It is made for mass appeal among younger crowds which is exactly why it made our list. It does not have a super wow factor, but that is perfect if you want to smell nice and not worry if you are being too loud with your scent.
This smells like cinnamon, leather, and citrus notes. It is warm and soft, so it may not be the best for hot summer weather, but it will be perfect for fall and winter.
6. Davidoff Cool Water
Best for: Any occasion
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Aquatic
Pros: Inexpensive version of Creed GIT
Cons: Can smell a little dated
Cool Water by Davidoff was an iconic fragrance of the 90’s. It was a main player in the rise of the fresh aquatics that were so popular during that time.
If you are a teenage boy looking for something clean, soapy, and fresh, then this is a good choice for you. This made our list because it is extremely popular, smells great, and it does not cost a lot.
7. Fierce by Abercrombie and Fitch
Best for: Feeling attractive
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Woody Aromatic
Pros: Mass appealing, smells great
Cons: Doesn’t last a long time
If you are familiar with the Brand Abercrombie and Fitch, and you can relate to it, Fierce should be on your radar to try out. Think of young guy with his shirt off, shredded abs with blue jeans on, and that is the identity of this cologne.
This is mass appealing and non-offensive which makes it great for teens. This is very similar to MontBlanc Legend, so if you like this, you should try that one out as well.
Like Sauvage, this one is a little more costly, but there are plenty of other options on our list if cost is a concern
This smells woody, musky and fresh. It is so popular among young guys that many other companies came out with similar fragrances.
8. Pace by Jaguar for Men
Best for: Young teens who want to smell clean like shower gel
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Fougère
Pros: Great clean smelling scent, easy to wear
Cons: Synthetic smelling
This smells like a clean shower gel. It is a nice easy grab and go fragrance. It is not over complex, but that is why it makes our list.
If you want to smell clean like you just hopped out of the shower, then this is the scent for you. This is an easy reach fragrance that does not smell like a cologne. This is another great beginner option, like Diesel.
9. Boss Bottled by Hugo Boss
Best for: Everyday wear
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Woody Spicy
Pros: Easy to wear and great for beginners
Cons: Generic smelling
Boss bottled is a great scent for younger guys. It easy to wear, and most people like smelling it on you. It also made our list of best Hugo Boss Colognes if you want to learn more about the brand.
This works well in fall, winter, and even spring though it really doesn’t seem like a great summer fragrance. It’s fairly versatile, and you should be able to pull this off during most occasions. It is good for a young man at a job, a night out, or even during class. It probably doesn’t match up if you are wearing Under Armour and a hoodie though.
It smells like vanilla, apple, and spices. If you want a great cool weather fragrance, then get this one.
10. Versace Dylan Blue
Best for: Casual wear
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Aromatic Fougère
Pros: Versatility, girls like the way it smells
Cons: Similar to a lot of other blue fragrances
Dylan Blue by Versace is another shower gel type fragrance. It is clean, aquatic and crisp, but it does have a little more going on than your average aquatic cologne.
This is a very versatile fragrance that teenage guys would love. You can wear it to class, to the gym, out with friends, or to work. It works most of the year except during the cold months.
At first it smells like grapefruit and bergamot, then it smells a little green and fresh. It finally settles down into a spicy and green scent.
11. Versace Eros EdT
Best for: Dates
Concentration: Eau de Toilette
Fragrance Family: Aromatic Fougère
Pros: Girls love the way it smells
Cons: Better for older teens
Versace Eros is the perfect clubbing fragrance for young men or teen guys. This is a very nice scent, but not really recommended for the over 25 crowd. This is a scent that people around you will enjoy smelling, and you should get compliments from young ladies at the bar.
The scent is designed to make you smell sexy and pleasing. The overwhelming amount of people around you in a social setting will think that you smell very nice with cologne on.
This is probably more suitable for the older teen guy crowd out of high school. If you do purchase this, make sure to get the Eau de Toilette version and not the EdP.
Comparison Table
| Fragrance | Best For | Concentration | Longevity | Projection | Price |
| Nautica Voyage | Everyday | Eau de Toilette | 6-8 hours | Moderate | $ |
| Cremo Vanilla & Spice | Cooler months | Eau de Toilette | 4-6 hours | Moderate | $ |
| Diesel Sound Of The Brave | Beginners | Eau de Toilette | 5-6 hours | Light | $$ |
| Dior Sauvage Edt | Older Teens | Eau de Toilette | 8-10 hours | High | $$ |
| 1 Million | Night Wear | Eau de Toilette | 8 hours | High | $$ |
| Cool Water | Summer Fresh | Eau de Toilette | 6+ hours | Moderate | $ |
| Fierce | Everyday Wear | Eau de Toilette | 6 hours | Moderate | $$ |
| Jaguar Pace | Smelling Clean | Eau de Toilette | 4-6 hours | Light | $ |
| Boss Bottled | Everyday Wear | Eau de Toilette | 6 hours | Light | $$ |
| Versace Dylan Blue | Smelling Clean | Eau de Toilette | 8-10 hours | Moderate | $$ |
| Versace Eros | Compliments | Eau de Toilette | 8+ hours | Moderate | $$ |
Buying Guide
When it comes to choosing the best fragrance for teen guys, there are certain factors that come into play. Fragrances have different personalities, and some just would not be suitable for the younger crowd. For example, an older barbershop style scent would not be great just as an older gentlemen in his 60’s smelling like Abercrombie and Firch would not match either.
Budget also has to be taken into account. Most teens are not going to be able to afford a $250 bottle of Tom Ford, so these colognes are going to have to be budget friendly.
Another factor to consider is scent strength as a lot of younger men will be using fragrance for the first time, and they may be self conscious of a scent being too strong. Nobody wants to walk into a room and have everyone turn toward the door to see what smells so strong.
You will find great options for a 13 year old boy up to a 19 year old teenage guy. This list also covers young men in their 20’s as well.
Our fragrance guide and comparison table should help you decide which cologne to buy if you are a young man. We have a wide range of choices from $20 to over $100. Hopefully, our guide can help you choose the right fragrance.
How We Rated
We personally own full bottles or samples of all these fragrances. Our crew that tested included teenage guys, teen girls and older adults. We factored in all of these results to come up with this ultimate list as a buying guide to help in your decision making.
